Same Path
by JokerAlchemist24
Summary: Something else I didn't tell her was that I needed her to train me so I could make things right again, get back what I lost, and what my father lost, whether it be a stupid path to take, I was going to do both. -OOC
1. Chapter 1

"Keep your head up," Teacher yelled at me. My hands were on my knees and I was breathing hard, looking up at her with a scowl. She was currently kicking my ass, with the excuse that it was training

"Why are we doing this again? I'm not learning anything!" I yelled back at her, my voice catching from the lack of oxygen in my lungs.

"Because to train the mind, you much train the body," she told me calmly, swinging her fist at my face, I dodged.

"This is point—" I was cut off by teacher's leg first connecting with my face, then her swinging around and crouching to thrust her other leg under mine, knocking me off balance. I was now lying on the ground, motionless, trying to catch my breath.

"Cam, you have to focus. Focus your mind on your body's movements, your surroundings and your opponent. Nothing else should matter when you are in a fight." She then stuck out her open hand, and I grabbed on to it and let her help me up.

It all started with my father dying and my mother being long gone. My mother was an alchemist, and from what I've heard, she was something called a state alchemist, working for the military now. I never really cared enough to pursue this rumor, for if she cared about me she never would have left in the first place. I was thinking about joining the military myself, until I heard her name from a passing pedestrian just months before. When my father died, I was going to try to use something called human transmutation, but when I started asking around about it. I kept hearing of two young boys and what happened to them. That's how I heard of Izumi, she taught them everything they knew, and the older boy that I heard about was known as a legend, though known to be dead.

When I started searching for Izumi I heard all about her, how she was mean, but nice. And how she taught a state alchemist that turned out to be a hero of the people, at a legend to the state. I didn't think she could be all that tough, she was a woman none the less. I also heard that she was getting to be older, and had some kind of sickness, though I haven't seen any sign of either of these things, but I still didn't know her well enough to ask her about it. The strange thing about it all was that she never spoke of any boys. She didn't speak about anyone; I felt that there was something that she was hiding.

When I asked her about human transmutation she nearly ripped my limbs off of me, I decided not to mention it ever again. The boy's story and her being their teacher did explain how it would be a touchy subject though.

When I finally did find her, I asked her to teach me. She told me no, again and again. I asked, again and again. Then one time she asked me about my parents, I told her I didn't have either one, that I was on my own. As I said this, her eyes grew sad, she smiled a sad smile at me and then sighed, accepting me as her student, and said that she was always too nice. This too I didn't ask about.

The first month of her 'training' though, personally I wouldn't call it that, it was more like prison, or torture. She ended up sticking me on some god forsaken island, and told me I wasn't allowed to use any alchemy, and that if I did, she would know and wouldn't teach me anything at the end of the month when she came to pick me up. And right before she left, she told me to think of a statement and a question and then tell her what they meant. One, one is all, and all is one. I had no idea what it meant, but I thought about how I had a whole month to think about it. And then two, what would I give up having to get back what I had lost, back? I knew the answer to this question, everything, but I didn't say anything. She left that night, and for that month I went through hell.

When she came to pick me up she asked me the questions again. And I told her, that I was just one small part of the world that even if I died the world would go on living as if nothing happened. And I would give up everything including my life to get what I wanted most.

I didn't tell her that what I wanted most was to bring my father back, have it be back like the way it was, myself studying under his watchful eye. I wanted my mother to be a mother to me, and act like she cared that she birthed me. I didn't tell her any of that, but now, months later I wish that I had, because bringing it up again would be the hardest thing ever.

Something else I didn't tell her was that I needed her to train me so I could make things right again, get back what I lost, and what my father lost, whether it be a stupid path to take, I was going to do both. I needed more materials than what I could put my hands on, I needed the central library, but that meant becoming part of the military, and she didn't approve of that. She said that military were dogs, that killed for no reason, and pissed on cue. But I needed to become one of those dogs to make things right again, even if that meant facing my mother.

Our relationship wasn't strong, and we weren't close. I stayed in a small room on the second floor of her house and meat shop. I ate dinner with her and her husband Sig, every night, though in silence. I'm not sure if it was just me being paranoid from all the stories or if it was really true, but I felt like they both had a wall up. Like the didn't want to get too close to me, as if they lost the people most dear to them more than once, and when I looked at them, I saw myself.


	2. Chapter 2

"So, you're leaving?" Winry looked at me. I didn't know her before I got to Dublith, but she came to visit Izumi and Sig quite often. She wasn't shy and she threw around her fist and wrenches a lot. I can still remember the first time she showed up here.

~Flash Back

"Izumi! Are you home?" I looked up from the book I had been reading and stood up. I walked to the living room where the front door was and peeked around the corner to see who was in the house. When I stretched my head around the corner I saw a blond haired girl in a sun dress, holding a hat and a suitcase. The first thought I had was that I was going to have to deal with another one of those girly girls that I hated so much back home.

"She's not here," I told her; I could feel my eye brows pulling together into a frown.

"Oh, who are you?" She looked at me but I didn't answer. She waited a few more seconds before putting her suitcase and bag down and then began to come towards me. I stepped back and she stopped. When she saw how hesitant I was she stopped and smiled. The small gesture reminded me of my father and I froze. "I'm Winry Rockbell, from Rockbell automail in Resembool." She stuck out her hand. It sucked me out of my memories when she mentioned automail. That's when I remembered the picture of a boy and a girl, the boy holding up his automail arm, and the girl scowling at him, pointing her wrench at his face. That's when I noticed she was the girl from the picture. I must have taken too long to answer again because she began to talk, letting her hand fall to her side. "I do maintenance on some of the people here in Dublith, a favor as you will," she paused. "Are you staying with Izumi and Sig?" She asked.

"Yes," I told her, waiting. Her smile was still on her face, but what surprised me the most was that it was so true, genuine, full of both love and hurt. "I'm training, my name is Cam." I held out my hand so I wasn't being rude, Izumi would kill me if she knew I was rude to one of her regular guests.

"Well it's nice to have a girl around here, usually it's only me," She shook my hand. She had rough hands I noticed when our skin touched. They were just as rough as my own and that's when I realized, that I was completely wrong about her. When she made contact with me I was hit with images, nice ones, sad ones, bloody ones. I stumbled back, not sure what was happening, I have never gotten so many visions at once. I could feel the blood in my head, the pulse in my hands. I fell to the ground and that's when I everything went black.

I heard talking when I came to, one belonged to Izumi, but the other one it took me a while to put together. But after a few seconds of remembering what happened, I remembered the girl. The one that made automail, the one that's been through hell, but still had such a truthful smile. I opened my eyes, and could see that the sun had fallen. I sat up, pulled on my over coat and stood up. I heard the voices still, in the kitchen, at the table. I opened my door and descended down the wooden steps and came around the corner to the kitchen, everyone sitting at the table with a glass of water sitting in front of each. And each glass looking untouched.

"Oh, you're awake," it was Sig, still up and about working. "You gave Winry a scare girl, be sure to apologize," and with that she stepped through the door.

I went over to the table and stopped in front of the blond, bowing, "I'm sorry for worrying you." I have never been so truthful myself. But something in me felt guilty for making this girl worry about me, after everything she had been through and still having a smile so full of warmth. Everything about her reminded me of my father, and her eyes, my mother.

"Oh don't worry about it, I'm just glad you are back to yourself," she looked at me, her smile this time was almost sad. "Why don't you sit down," she told me, motioning to the seat across from her but next to teacher. I did as she wanted and sat down, Sig coming through the door, but this time with a pot of tea and a cup for myself. Leaving them on the table and going back through the door he had just come from. I looked down at it, and sighed. Right then, I knew she knew my secret.

"So you know," I told her. I didn't necessarily care, and she seemed close enough to Izumi that I felt safe enough not to worry. Izumi and Sig could be trusted, and if Winry was this close to the two of them, I had no choice but to trust her as well. And I saw her memories; it was only fair that she know something about me.

"I do," she looked at me again. "I knew someone with talents like yours, not the same gift, but great talent just the same." She looked down at her hands, remembering something from her past, and again, I felt bad for making her think and remember such sad things.

"May I do something?" I asked her. I have never asked to be so close to someone, but I wanted to know her, understand her. She was like a big sister, like the one I lost, and that it made me want to protect her even more.

"I know what you are thinking, and I can see where you are coming from, but over time you will hear my story. My story and the brother's story, there is no need to rush it. When the time is right, you will understand." After that statement, her mood and aura changed suddenly. She stretched her arms up over her head, and I could see her muscles stretch in protest, and feel how tired she was, not only from a lack of sleep, but also from the past and just her life in general. Then she stood, "I'm tired from the travel, I should get some rest before tomorrow. I have a lot of rounds to make." Izumi and I both nodded at her, and she smiled once more before disappearing up the stairs, and her face was forever engraved in my head.

I got up as well, thinking of heading to my room when Izumi spoke up, she didn't turn towards me, but spoke.

"Tomorrow you will go with her, slowly, you will learn and understand her story." She didn't wait for my response and just like every night, she disappeared though her door without a good bye. I then turned and walked up the stairs wondering what was in store for me tomorrow. That night, I dreamt of a blond haired beauty, and my sister.

A/N- Things will unravel, I promise. Review and tell me what you think, or if you have any ideas. I apologize for any spelling or grammar mistakes.


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